Figures
by BeChloeIsLegit
Summary: This is a story based on a request from raffig23. Basically, the request is to write an angst story based on the song Figures by Jessie Reyez, where Chloe cheats on Beca. The full prompt will be listed at the end of the story so it doesn't give the ending away. Rated M for language. I don't own Pitch Perfect or its characters.
1. Chapter 1

**This story is based on a request from raffig23. The basic idea was to write an angst story based on** _ **Figures**_ **by Jessie Reyez. The full prompt is noted at the end of the story, so it doesn't give the ending away.**

 **Some angst ahead so be warned (I'm not that great with angsty stuff, but I hope you like it).**

* * *

Beca Mitchell sat at the mixing table, headphones firmly in place, fingers on the board, and did...nothing. Her mind was not on her work; it was back home in the house she shared with her wife of 8 months, Chloe Mitchell (nee Beale).

After a few minutes, she threw her headphones off. "Argggh!," she yelled to the empty room.

She runs her hands through her hair and holds her head in her hands. "What did I do?," she thinks. It's been almost a month of Chloe shutting her down when she wants to hold her, or cuddle. Chloe always wants to cuddle. An entire month of Chloe only speaking when Beca asks her a question directly. A month of Chloe turning away from her in bed. Beca could feel the tears burning her eyes. She had no idea what was happening, and she was afraid that it was the beginning of the end of her marriage. She thought back to when it started

 _One Month Ago_

 _It was late, but Beca was busy cleaning the house, getting ready for Chloe's return the next day. She's been gone for a week and Beca really missed her. She was dusting the mantle over the fireplace and smiled at the picture of the two of them on their wedding day. Beca shakes her head wondering how she got so lucky to have married someone as loving and caring as Chloe. It's been seven months and they've been the happiest seven months of her life. She put the picture back and heard the front door open and close._

 _She saw Chloe as she entered the living room and squealed. "Chloe! You're home early," Beca said. "I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow." She hurried, almost running, over to the redhead. She reached to pull her into her arms for a kiss and the redhead evaded her grasp, mumbling something about being tired. Beca's face fell and a look of hurt skimmed over her eyes. "Um, okay. Sorry. Let me take your bag upstairs for you."_

 _Beca reached for the bag and Chloe snatched it away. "I can carry my own bag," Chloe practically snarled at Beca. She jerks the bag away from Beca and goes stomping upstairs, slamming the bedroom door._

" _What the fuck just happened?," Beca asked the empty room._

 _Beca went upstairs to check on Chloe. She went into their bedroom and heard the ensuite shower running. The bathroom door was locked so Beca knocked on it only to hear Chloe tell to her go away. Beca sat on the bed and waited for Chloe to finish her shower. Chloe was startled when she came out of the bathroom about 15 minutes later wearing nothing but a towel. Chloe didn't say anything to Beca. She just went to the dresser and pulled out some sleep clothes and went back into the bathroom. She came out a few minutes later in her sleep shorts and an oversized t-shirt._

" _Chloe," Beca said when Chloe wouldn't look at her. "Talk to me. What's going on?"_

" _I'm tired and I just want to be left alone," Chloe tells her._

" _Come on, Chlo," Beca said and stood to reach for her. Chloe pulled out of her reach again and Beca felt the tears prickling at her eyes._

" _I'm going to bed," Chloe said and pulled back the covers. She crawled into bed and got under the covers, pulling them up to her chin and turning her back on Beca._

 _Tears started to fall from Beca's eyes as she said, "Okay, if that's what you want. I'll be downstairs if you need me."_

Beca sat there staring at nothing for a few minutes. She got an idea and pulled out her phone and opened up a new text.

Beca [10:04 am]: _Hey. Can we talk? I don't know what I did but I want to fix this. Just tell me what I did wrong so we can start fixing it. Please?_

Beca read the text a couple of times. She knows she sounds desperate but that's because she is. She hits send before she can change her mind. Her phone pinged about a few minutes later and she checked the message.

Chloe [10:10 am]: _You didn't do anything wrong._

Beca furrowed her brow. That's it? That's all she gets? "If I didn't do anything wrong then what the fuck is going on?," she yells at the phone.

"Something I can help you with?," Stacie asked causing Beca to jump, not realizing Stacie had entered the studio.

"No. Yes. Maybe. I don't know," Beca said running her hands up and down her face and then through her hair. "Why are you even here?"

"I came to check up on you," Stacie said. "You've been out of it more than usual and I wanted to make sure you were okay. Are you?"

"I don't know," Beca said as she sat next to Stacie on her office couch still holding her phone in one hand. She looked down and started twisting her wedding ring. "Chloe's been, um, I don't know. Cold toward me for the past month. She barely speaks to me unless she absolutely has to. And, when we, um, go to bed she pulls away from me and turns her back to me. I can't sleep because I'm afraid I'll end up cuddling her and she's made it quite clear she doesn't want me to touch her. I don't know what's going on and I'm strongly considering moving into the guest room. The only reason I don't is that it feels like I'm giving up on us, so I end up spending most nights in my studio working on mixes to keep my mind occupied." She waves her phone around. "I just texted her asking if we could talk or for her to tell what I did wrong so we could fix it. All she said was 'you didn't do anything wrong.' I don't know what to do."

Beca let out a sob and Stacie gathered her in her arms. She hugged the distraught girl and kissed her on the side of her head.

"When did all this start?," Stacie asked.

"When she came back from her Teacher's Conference about a month ago," Beca said.

"Did you guys argue before she left?," Stacie asked.

"No," Beca said quickly, pulling back to look at Stacie. "It's been nothing short of awesome since we got married. The day she left we didn't want to let each other go. Every time she pulled away, I'd pull her back into a kiss and vice versa. Hell, the woman Chloe was riding with, um, Sarah I think her name was, was getting really annoyed with us and kept blowing the horn and yelling for Chloe to get in the car."

"Did something happen at the Conference?," Stacie asked.

"I thought that might be it," Beca said. "Chloe did fly back early instead of driving back with Sarah. She didn't even let me know she was going to be home early either. She always lets me know. When I asked her why she said she was really tired and didn't feel like spending 6 hours cooped up in a car." Beca wipes her face. "She usually can't wait to tell me all the things she saw and did on these trips. Whenever I asked her about the trip, she would just say nothing much happened, just the same old stuff. And now she's acting like she doesn't want to be there or want me there."

"Hang on, I'm going to text Aubrey," Stacie said. "Maybe Chloe said something to her."

Stacie pulled out her phone and sent Aubrey a text.

Stacie [10:22 am]: _Hey, babe. Have you talked to Chloe lately?_

Aubrey [1025 am]: _We're having lunch today? Why what's up?_

Stacie [10:26 am]: _I'm with Beca. Call me._

About two minutes later Stacie's phone rang.

"Hey, babe," Stacie said answering the phone. "I have you on speaker."

" _What's going on, hobbit?,_ " Aubrey asked.

Beca tells her everything she just told Stacie. "I think my marriage is ending and I don't know how to stop it from happening," Beca said, her voice thick with tears.

" _Hey,"_ Aubrey said. _"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. It sounds like maybe something did happen at the conference and Chloe isn't ready to tell you about it."_

"What could have possibly happened that she couldn't tell me about?," Beca asked through her tears. "She tells me everything. She used to anyway."

Beca begins sobbing now. Stacie grabs her again and pulls her to her.

" _Hey, Beca. Hey! Come on. It's going to be okay._ " Aubrey tried to reassure her. " _I'm having lunch with her in a little while. I'll see if she'll tell me or at least try to get her to talk to you about whatever it is. Don't overthink this. Just relax until there's something to freak out over. Okay?_ "

"Okay," Beca mumbles through her tears.

"Thanks, babe," Stacie said. "I'll see you at home later. Love you."

" _Love you, too,_ " Aubrey said. " _And, Beca, don't worry. I'm sure it's nothing._ "

"Yeah," Beca said and Stacie ended the call. Beca sat there with tears streaming down her face.

"Hey, Becs," Stacie said softly. "It's going to be okay. If anyone can get Chloe to open up, Brey can."

"I was thinking while Aubrey was talking," Beca said. "What if someone said something to Chloe because she's married to a woman. You know how some people are with gays. Somebody could have said something to her and now she's rethinking being with me. She said she was straight until she met me. What if she doesn't want me anymore? What if she wants to find some guy to be with?" Beca lets out a sob and covers her mouth. "Maybe she already found someone and doesn't know how to end it with me."

"Beca, don't," Stacie said. "Don't do this to yourself. You're overthinking things. We're talking about Chloe here. Let's wait until we see what Brey finds out. Okay?"

Beca just nods her head and tries to stop the tears. She does not succeed.

"Come on, Becs," Stacie said, getting emotional herself. "You need to calm yourself down. You're going to make yourself sick." Stacie stands up suddenly, dragging Beca up with her. "Come on, let's go get some air. Maybe get something to eat. You'll feel better."

Beca just silently agrees and allows Stacie to drag her out of the studio. People were staring at Beca as she walked down the street wiping the tears from her face. Stacie knew there was a sandwich shop about two blocks from the studio and led Beca there.

 ***oOo*oOo*oOo***

"Hey, Brey," Chloe said as she joined her best friend. "Sorry, I'm late."

"It's okay," Aubrey said. "I haven't been waiting long. Are you okay?"

"What? Oh, yeah, I'm good," Chloe said sounding far from it. "Everything's just peachy."

"Really?," Aubrey asked. "That doesn't sound very convincing."

"I'm fine," Chloe said and sighed. "Could you just not today?"

The waitress came to the table and Chloe ordered a scotch. Aubrey raised an eyebrow and told the waitress she'd just have an iced tea. The waitress left to get their drinks and Aubrey looked at Chloe. Chloe was staring down at her hands in her lap.

"You seem a little out of it," Aubrey asked. "Have you already been drinking?"

"Not something for you to worry about," Chloe said with an edge to her voice.

"So, how are things?," Aubrey asked, making a mental note to come back around to the drinking at a later time.

"Things are good," Chloe said.

"If you're drinking scotch at 11:30 in the morning," Aubrey said. "I wouldn't say things were good."

"Things are good," Chloe said. "So, just leave it alone."

"Fine then. If everything's good why is Stacie with a freaked out Beca right now?," Aubrey said deciding to jump right in since Chloe was not acting like herself.

"Beca's freaked out?," Chloe asked looking concerned. "Why?"

Aubrey just looked at Chloe. Something was definitely wrong because Chloe is always in tune with whatever mood or freakout Beca was in.

"Get up," Aubrey said standing. "We're going to your house and you're going to tell me what's going on."

"Nothing's going on," Chloe said indignantly.

"Fine," Aubrey said and sat back down. "You want to do this here, let's do it. Why is Beca freaking out because you haven't spoken to her in two weeks?"

"I do talk to Beca," Chloe said defensively.

"Really? What was the last conversation you had with her?," Aubrey asked.

"We talked about what we were having for dinner tonight," Chloe responded quietly.

"How long did that conversation last?," Aubrey asked still not convinced. "Ten seconds? Twenty? How about before that?"

Chloe just looked down at the table, not saying anything.

"Okay," Aubrey said. "Why haven't you and Beca had sex since before you left for your conference?

Chloe blushed and swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. "That's none of your business, Brey," Chloe said. "And I'm through being interrogated." She grabbed her purse and stood to leave.

"Beca thinks you're going to leave her because you found someone else," Aubrey said causing a teary-eyed Chloe to stop and turn to look at her

 ***oOo*oOo*oOo***

Beca and Stacie had been sitting for a minute or two, not saying anything, when the waitress came to take their order.

"I'll have a BLT on wheat," Stacie said. "And a diet coke."

"And for you?," the waitress asked looking at Beca.

"Just coffee, please," Beca told her.

The waitress leaves and Stacie looks at Beca.

"When was the last time you ate?," Stacie asked her.

"I haven't had much of an appetite the past couple days," Beca told her.

"You have to eat," Stacie said. The waitress brought their drinks. "Could you also bring her a BLT on wheat toast and a glass of water?"

"I'll put the order in right away," the waitress said and left them alone.

"You know you're doing what you always do," Stacie said. "Overthinking. Making everything out to be worse than it is."

"Yeah, well at least I'm acting like myself," Beca retorted. "Chloe's not."

 ***oOo*oOo*oOo***

Chloe let out a huge sigh and sat back down putting her elbows on the table and her head in her hands.

"I fucked up, Brey," Chloe said as tears ran down her face. "I really fucked up."

"Let's get you home and you can tell me about it," Aubrey said.

Aubrey and Chloe got up as the waitress came over with their drinks. Chloe grabbed the scotch and downed in one gulp. Aubrey paid the waitress for their drinks, giving her a hefty tip as well. Aubrey followed Chloe outside.

"I'll follow you home," Aubrey told Chloe. Chloe just nodded her head and they both got into their cars and drove off.

 ***oOo*oOo*oOo***

"Do you think Chloe told Aubrey anything?," Beca asked Stacie as they sat in her studio.

"She may still be having lunch," Stacie responded. "I haven't heard anything from her yet."

"What if-"

"Stop! Just stop, please," Stacie said running a hand through her hair. "How many times do I have to say don't worry about anything until there's something to worry about."

"That's easier said than done," Beca mumbled. "Stacie, I love Chloe with everything I have. I don't know what I'll do if she's found someone else."

"Did I ever tell you about the time Brey almost broke up with me?," Stacie asked.

"What?," Beca said. "No. You never told me that."

"Well," Stacie said. "One day Brey came to the lab to surprise me and take me to lunch. She came in just as Gary, this guy that works with me, grabbed me up in a hug and kissed me on the cheek. I didn't know she saw us. She came in like everything was fine and we had lunch. For like the next week she was really distant. Not talking much and definitely not doing much of anything else."

"So, what happened?," Beca asked.

"One night, just after dinner, I was talking about work and I mentioned Gary," Stacie said. "She lost it. She got upset and started yelling at me about cheating on her and said if I was going to leave to just go ahead and go. That she didn't want to be with someone who didn't want to be with her."

"It wasn't what she thought," Beca said.

"No, it wasn't," Stacie said. "She said something about the hug and kiss. I laughed which made her even madder. I told her that Gary was going to propose to his girlfriend and asked me for some help. I helped him shop for the ring and gave him an idea on how to propose. He did and she said yes, and that was why he hugged me at work. To thank me for helping him. So, you see, Beca, things are not always how they look."

"I get it," Beca said. "I just-." She runs her hand through her hair in frustration. "It's just it took me so long to finally realize, and admit, my feelings for Chloe, I'm afraid she'll realize I'm not good enough for her."

"Oh, Beca," Stacie said. "Why don't you go home and wait for Chloe? Make her talk to you. It's the only way you're going to know."

"You're right," Beca said. "Thanks, Stacie. I'll, um, text or call you later."

"Okay," Stacie said. "And don't start off by accusing her of anything. That will just put her on the defensive and you'll never find out what's really going on."

"I'll try not to," Beca said.

Stacie left the studio so Beca could finish whatever she had been working on when she arrived. She texted Aubrey to see if she found out what was going on with Chloe.

Beca saved her work and gathered her stuff. She told her Assistant she wasn't feeling well and was going home. She sat in her car for a few minutes before she drove home.

 ***oOo*oOo*oOo***

Chloe let Aubrey into the house and dropped her stuff by the door. She went to the bar and poured herself of a shot of Tequila and downed it. She poured a second and downed that one as well. She leaned against the bar and let the burn of the alcohol course through her veins. She looked up to see Aubrey watching her.

Chloe walked over the sofa and sat down. She put her elbows on her knees and head in her hands.

"Come on, Chlo," Aubrey said. "Talk to me."

Chloe let out a humorless laugh. "Now you sound like Beca."

"She's just worried about you," Aubrey said. "And, I'm starting to worry about you, too. Something's wrong and Beca can sense it and so do I. What's going on?"

"Sit down," Chloe tells her. Aubrey sits and Chloe takes a deep breath. "I need to start at the beginning. Just let me get through this before you say anything. Can you do that? For me?"

Aubrey looks at her for a moment, worried about what Chloe is about to tell her. She also knows that Chloe needs her to be her friend and do nothing but listen.

"Okay," Aubrey said. "Start whenever you're ready and I'll stay silent until you've had your say."

Chloe becomes teary-eyed as she sits there. Trying to find the best place to start with what's been going on. She wipes a tear that fell down her cheek.

"About 3 months ago the school got a new teacher," Chloe said looking down at her hands in her lap. "Her name is Sarah and she teaches third grade. We formally met when she brought her class for their music lessons. We hit it off immediately because she also has a love of music. She started coming to my class during lunch and we'd talk. I didn't think much of it until one day about a 6 weeks ago she started to leave and tried to kiss me."

Chloe looked at Aubrey when she heard her gasp. Aubrey's eyebrows shot up and she opened her mouth to say something but snapped it shut immediately. She just nodded at Chloe to continue.

"I pushed her away before anything could happen and she got pissed," Chloe continued. "I told her I was happily married. She said I was giving her signals that I was into her. I didn't, Brey, I swear I didn't. I love Beca with all my heart, you know that."

Chloe watched Aubrey who was sitting with her arms crossed over her chest, rigid and tense. Chloe could feel the tension emanating from her body in waves.

"Go on," Aubrey said through gritted teeth.

"I thought that was the end of it," Chloe said. "She even apologized the next day and said it wouldn't happen again. I avoided being in my classroom when it was lunch time because I didn't know what else to do. She finally got me alone a week before the Conference and she apologized again and said that we were starting to be fairly good friends and she missed that. We talked a bit more and I felt like things were really okay. So, when she offered for me to ride to Sacramento with her and two other teachers, I agreed. The day we left, Beca was being her goofy self and would grab me and kiss every time I started to get in the car. It was like a game and it was so silly and cute. Sarah was getting irritated and blew the horn at us and yelled for me to get in the car because we had long drive and she wanted to avoid as much traffic as possible. Beca finally let me go and we drove off. Sarah made a few snarky comments about Beca but I ignored her because Dani and Janice were saying how cute it was and they could tell that Beca and I loved each other very much."

Chloe stopped and rubbed her temples, trying to ease the headache she was getting. Aubrey shifted in her seat and waited.

"The conference was going well and we were having a good time," Chloe said. "Two nights before the end of the conference a bunch of teachers from all over decided to hit a bar that had karaoke. The next day was a free day before the closing ceremony and it was karaoke so, of course, I went. We all sang and starting ordering drinks. I remember Sarah kept bringing me drinks and I don't know exactly how many I had, but I was somehow drunk, very drunk in a short amount of time."

Chloe stopped and put her head in her hands again before she continued. "We all sang a few more songs and that's all I remember until I woke up the next day." Her voice softer and sounding more fragile than Aubrey had ever heard her sound before. Aubrey got up and moved to sit next to Chloe. She rubbed Chloe's back and said, "Go on."

"When I woke up it was already afternoon," Chloe said. "I felt like I had been on a three-day bender or something. I looked around and tried to figure out how I got back to my room and then I realized I was naked."

Aubrey closed her eyes and could feel the tears at their corners. She knew where this was going.

"I got scared," Chloe said. "I didn't know why I was naked and how I got to my room. I jumped when I heard the bathroom door open, afraid to see who was going to walk out. It was, um, it was Sarah and she was naked, too."

Chloe let out a sob and Aubrey pulled her into a hug. "Did you two? You know?," Aubrey asked softly.

"Yeah," Chloe said. "It was obvious we did, especially when she came over and tried to kiss me on the mouth. I pushed her away before she could. I couldn't process everything and had to jump up and run to the bathroom to throw up. When I was done, I put on my robe that was hanging on the door and came back out; she was still there. She laughed at me and said something about not being able to hold my liquor. She was still naked and just lounging back on my bed like she owned the place. I told her to get out. And she laughed again."

Chloe became fidgety at this point, so Aubrey waited for Chloe to continue.

"She said something along the lines of doing it again before we leave," Chloe said and swallowed the bile that rose in her throat. "I told her that I was happily married and she was a drunken mistake and it was never going to happen again. She picked up one of those GoPro cameras off the night table and got up and started walking toward me. She had this look on her face that scared the shit out of me. I didn't know what she might do. She stopped in front of me and did something on the camera. Then she held it up to my face."

There was silence while Chloe tried to compose herself and not empty the contents of her stomach all over the floor. "She showed me a video of the two of us having sex. I pushed it away and she laughed, it was an evil laugh. And then she said, 'If you think this is the last time I get to fuck you, think again. If you refuse, your little wifey will be getting a copy of our little romp.' Then she tried to kiss me but I turned away. She shrugged her shoulders and got dressed and I just stood there not knowing what to do. When she was fully-clothed she went to the door and stopped before she opened it. She turned to me and said, 'I always get what I want and I want you. You can keep the wife if you want. That doesn't bother me. But I will have you again or she'll find out the hard way about us.' And then she just walked out. I showered and then packed up my stuff and went to the airport to catch the first flight home I could get."

Chloe got up and went to the bar and downed two more shots.

"Do you think that's a good idea?," Aubrey asked. "Especially with what happened the last time you got drunk?"

"Don't judge me, Aubrey," Chloe snapped at her best friend. "My marriage is about to be over and getting drunk is all I have right now."

"Chloe," Aubrey said feeling bad for the redhead. "I'm sorry. I'm just worried about you. And Beca."

Chloe just nodded her head and sat back down on the sofa. Aubrey sat for a moment, gathering her thoughts before she spoke.

"You know, this is exactly what Beca was afraid of," Aubrey finally said. "How could you be so fucking irresponsible? In the past even when you were super drunk, you didn't sleep with just anyone."

"I don't, I don't know," Chloe said. "I was missing Beca. And I know that's no excuse. I don't want to believe that I willingly had sex with someone else even if I was drunk. But she has a video and she's going to tell Beca." Chloe started crying again.

"Did you watch the video?," Aubrey asked.

"No, I pushed it away as soon as I saw what looked like us having sex," Chloe said. "I didn't want to see any more of it."

"Could she have staged it?," Aubrey said. "Made it look like something it wasn't."

"I wish I could say yes," Chloe said. "But, I don't know. I don't think so." Chloe sobbed and the tears fell harder.

Aubrey held Chloe as she cried. "You need to tell Beca," Aubrey said. "I think she needs to know."

"How?," Chloe said. "She'll never trust me again. She'll leave me and I don't know what I would do if she did."

"I think you need to tell her," Aubrey reasoned. "She loves you, Chloe. You'll be able to work through it. Just tell her."

"I can't tell Beca that I cheated on her," Chloe said loudly, pulling away from Aubrey and standing.

She felt rather than heard Beca and she slowly turned to find Beca standing in the doorway, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

"You cheated on me?"


	2. Chapter 2

Aubrey looked over in time to see Beca run out the door she had just walked in. Chloe just stood there with a look of shock on her face.

"Beca!," Aubrey yelled as she jumped up to run after her. She looked back when she heard a thud and saw Chloe lying on the floor. "Shit!," Aubrey said as she ran back to Chloe.

Aubrey got to Chloe and pulled her into her arms at the same time she pulled out her phone. She dialed 911 and put the phone to her ear.

"Come on, Chlo," Aubrey said teary-eyed. "Wake up sweetie. Please?"

"9-1-1, what's your emergency?," a voice on the line said.

"Yes, I need an ambulance," Aubrey said quickly. "My friend fainted."

"Okay, ma'am," the dispatcher said. "I've got the paramedics on their way. Can you stay on the line with me?"

"Yes," Aubrey said.

"Is the door unlocked so the paramedics can get in?," the dispatcher asked.

"Um, I, I don't know," Aubrey replied. "I'll check."

"Good," the dispatcher told her. "Just unlock it and they will come in if that's okay."

"Yes, it's fine."

"Is your friend breathing?"

Aubrey rushes over and unlocks the door and then rushes back over to Chloe. "Yes, she's breathing. And she has a pulse."

"Good. Did she hit anything when she fainted? Is there any bleeding?"

Aubrey checked Chloe and saw a bump on her forehead. "It looks like she may have hit her head on the table. But there's no bleeding, just a bump. On her forehead."

"Okay. The paramedics are about two minutes away, okay?"

"Okay. Wait, I can hear sirens."

"That's probably them. I'll stay on the line until they get to you. Okay? Are you able to stay on the line with me?"

"Yes."

A minute or two later, the door opens. "Paramedics," a voice called. "We're coming in."

"In here," Aubrey called out. "They're here," she told the dispatcher.

"Okay," the dispatcher said. "I'm going to hang up now. I hope your friend feels better."

"Thank you," Aubrey said and ended the call.

The paramedics rush over to Chloe. They ask Aubrey what happened and she tells them.

"Has she been drinking?," one of the paramedics asked.

"Yes, but her drinking isn't why she fainted," Aubrey scoffed.

"I meant nothing by it," the paramedic said holding up his hands. "I was asking because I can smell the alcohol. She also appears to be dehydrated. She may have a concussion so we'll take her in and have the docs take a look at her. Okay?"

"I'm sorry," Aubrey said. "I'm just worried."

"That's okay," the paramedic said. "Do you want to ride to the hospital with her?"

"Yes, thank you," Aubrey said.

"Okay," the paramedic said. "Let's go."

They placed Chloe on the gurney and wheeled her out to the ambulance. Once they had Chloe settled the ambulance drove off in the direction of the hospital.

 ***oOo*oOo*oOo***

Beca ran out of the house and jumped into her car, tires screeching as she pulled away. She couldn't believe she was right; that Chloe had cheated on her. Her vision blurry from her tears, she stopped a few blocks from home. She looked around and noticed she was in front of a bar. She parked the car and wiped at her face and went in. She ignored everyone who looked at her and walked straight to the bar where she sits on a stool and gets the bartender's attention.

"What can I get 'ya?," the bartender asked.

"Vodka and cran," Beca ordered.

The bartender made her drink and set it in front of her. Beca sipped at it at first and then downed it in two gulps. She ordered another. The bartender could tell something was bothering her so he asked her if she was okay.

"Just trying to get over a cheating wife," Beca said, raising her glass to him before downing it.

"Maybe you should slow down a bit," the bartender suggested.

"Maybe I should just have a shot of the strongest stuff you got," Beca said.

The bartender looked at her and could see she was hurting. He knew her pain, having been cheated on in the past. He also knew that if he didn't give her the drinks, she'd just go somewhere else. Somewhere that didn't have a responsible bartender. He decided to get her the shot and watch over her.

"What's your poison?," the bartender asked.

"Whiskey," Beca said.

The bartender set a shot glass in front of Beca and grabbed the whiskey bottle. He poured the shot and went to place the bottle back when Beca grabbed his arm. "Don't go too far away with that."

"Yes, ma'am," the bartender said and set the bottle to the bar just out of Beca's reach.

Beca held the shot in her hand and looked down into the amber liquid. She holds the glass up and says, "Here's to the cheaters and the fuckers who fucked them." She downed the shot and made an 'O' with her mouth as she let out a breath. Her lungs burned and her body felt like it was on fire. She raised the empty glass and shook it around at the bartender. "Another," she shouts out.

The bartender poured her another shot. "Thank you," Beca said and stared at the second shot.

A man sitting with some friends saw the small brunette and thought she looked familiar. He walked over to the bar and when he got to her he realized she was a friend of one of his coworkers. He watched as she downed her fourth drink and waved her glass at the bartender again.

"Hey," the guy said. "Aren't you Beca Mitchell? A friend of Stacie Conrad? I'm Mike. I work with Stacie."

"Hey, Mikey,' Beca slurred, the four drinks getting to her. "Have a drink with me. Yo, bartender, get my friend here a drink."

Mike shook his head at the bartender, who just shrugged his shoulders and walked away.

"Thanks but I should probably be getting back to my friends," Mike said. "I just wanted to say hi. You enjoy your evening."

Beca just nodded her head and didn't say anything. Mike left Beca and pulled out his phone as he walked away. He dialed a number and when it was answered he said, "Hey, Stacie. It's Mike."

 ***oOo*oOo*oOo***

When the ambulance arrived at the hospital, Aubrey was shown to a waiting area and told someone would come talk to her after they examined Chloe. Aubrey held her phone and was getting ready to try and call Beca when it rang. She looked at the caller ID and answered.

"Why did I just get a call from one of the guys I work with saying that Beca was downing shots like candy?," Stacie asked as soon as she heard Aubrey's voice.

"Something's happened," Aubrey said. "I need you to find her or call her or something, just reach her somehow."

"Babe, what's going on?," Stacie asked, feeling Aubrey's anxiety and panic through the phone.

"I'm at the hospital with Chloe," Aubrey said. "She fainted after Beca ran out of the house."

"Mike told me where she was," Stacie said. "I'll get her and bring her to the hospital." She paused and waited to see if Aubrey was going to say anything. "Did Chloe-" Stacie ran a hand through her hair not really wanting to ask, or hear the answer to, her question. "Did she cheat on Beca?"

The 'yes' Aubrey provided was a mere whisper. "I'll explain everything, just please get Beca here."

"I will," Stacie said. "I love you, Brey!"

"I love you, too," Aubrey said and ended the call.

Stacie grabbed her keys and purse and ran out the door to her car. She drove to the bar where Mike said Beca was and parked. She rushed in and Mike ran over to her.

"That's the second shot she's ordered since I called you," Mike said. "I tried to get her to slow down but she wouldn't listen." Mike looked over at the bar and then back at Stacie. "This is going to sound weird but she propositioned me and when I said no, she started yelling and asking if there was anyone here who wanted to fuck her. I stayed close to make sure no one bothered her but you need to be careful, Stacie. Some of these guys wouldn't think twice about doing something to you and her."

"Thanks, Mike," Stacie said with a heavy sigh. "I appreciate the call."

"I'll be over there," Mike pointed to a table where his friends were still sitting. "Holler if you need any help."

"I will," Stacie said. "Thanks, again."

Stacie walked over to the bar and sat next to Beca. The bartender came over and Stacie asked for water for the both of them.

"Stacie!," Beca said when she finally realized who was sitting next to her. "Let me buy you a drink."

"That's okay," Stacie said. "I've already ordered one. So, what are you doing here?"

"What does it look like?," Beca asked, sounding surprising sober in her speech. "I'm drinking cause my wifey wife cheated on me. See this? It's 150 poof, proof so I got 150 reasons to leave her."

Beca started laughing at her joke. "Get it?," Beca asked Stacie as she continued to laugh.

The bartender set two bottles of water on the bar in front of Stacie. "How many is that for her?," Stacie asked him.

"That one she's holding is shot number four," the bartender told her. "She started with two vodka and crans. But listen, I wasn't going to serve her anymore after this one. I just thought she needed to drink away some of what she was feeling. I've been cheated on and, believe it or not, the drinking helped. I was going to put her in a cab after giving her some water. I'm a lot of things, miss, but I'm not totally irresponsible. "

Stacie nodded and thanked the man. She opened the water bottle and tried to take the shot glass from Beca. Most of the liquid sloshed out as Beca tried to keep it away from Stacie. She finally got the glass to her mouth but barely any liquor was left in it. Beca looked down at the empty glass and started to cry.

"I love her so much, Stacie," Beca said. "And I trusted her. And she broke my heart and she broke my trust. She cheated on me, Stace. I heard her say it with my own two eyes. No, wait, that's not right. I heard it with my own two, um, hearing things. I hate her."

"No, you don't," Stacie said. "Beca, I need you to sober up. We need to get to the hospital."

"I do hate her!," Beca said, glaring at Stacie. "And I don't need to go to the hospital."

"Not for you," Stacie said. "For Chloe. Chloe's in the hospital."

"Chloe's in the hospital?," Beca asked.

"Yes," Stacie said. "Now drink this water and let's go. I'm going to drive you to the hospital."

"Fine," Beca said taking the water. "But, I still hate her."

 ***oOo*oOo*oOo***

"Chloe Mitchell family?," a doctor called out.

"I'm here," Aubrey said. "I came with her in the ambulance. She's my best friend. Her wife's on the way. Is she okay?"

"She will be," the doctor said giving her a small smile. "I'm Dr. Williams. Would you follow me so we can talk?"

Aubrey nodded and followed the doctor to a small conference room. The doctor indicated a seat and Aubrey sat down. The doctor sat and opened a file he had been carrying.

"Miss Mitchell is resting comfortably right now," Dr. Williams said. "She suffered from a simple fainting spell. It could have been due to anxiety, fear, pain, intense emotional stress, hunger, or use of alcohol or drugs. Most people who suffer from simple fainting have no underlying heart or neurological problems. Can you tell me if Miss Mitchell has been eating regularly?"

"I don't know," Aubrey responded. "I do know she's been stressed for the past month, and past experience tells me that she probably hasn't been eating like she should."

"Did something happen, something emotional perhaps, prior to her fainting?," Dr. Williams asked.

"Yes," Aubrey said but didn't elaborate.

"And she had been drinking," Dr. Williams said. It was not a question.

Aubrey looked down and nodded.

"Thanks for being honest. It helps," Dr. Williams said, smiling sympathetically. "Now, she's going to be fine. We want to keep her overnight to keep her on IV fluids because she's a bit dehydrated which is a contributing factor to her fainting. The emotional stress you said she encountered is another. And, her blood alcohol level was a bit high, just under the legal limit, which would also be a factor in her dehydration and fainting. Her heart sounds good, her lungs sound good, everything else checks out fine. We did a scan to make sure the bump on her head is nothing to worry about, and there's no concussion. She'll have a headache for a day or two but any pain reliever will help with that. So, short version, you're friend fainted from severe emotional stress and dehydration with alcohol as a major contributing factor."

"Thank you, Dr. Williams," Aubrey said with a huge sigh of relief. "I'll be sure and tell her wife when she gets here."

"That's fine," Dr. Williams said as he stood. "Have the nurse page me if you have any questions. Miss Mitchell will be in a room shortly. The nurse will be able to give you that information."

The doctor starts to leave but stops and looks at Aubrey. "I know it's not my place, but based on my examination and experience, I believe your friend has been drinking heavily for a while. She may have a problem and if it's not caught now, it will only get worse."

"Thank you, Dr. Williams," Aubrey said and went back to the waiting area to look for Stacie and, hopefully, Beca.

 ***oOo*oOo*oOo***

"I want to go home," Beca said as she sat in the passenger seat with her arms crossed.

"I'm taking you to see you your wife in the hospital," Stacie said glancing over at the smaller brunette.

"I don't want to see her," Beca mumbled and looked out the window.

"Too bad," Stacie said. "We're here." She parked the car and looked over at Beca. "Beca, look at me." Beca continued to stare out the window. "Please look at me."

Beca slowly turns her head to look at Stacie. There is a tear falling down her cheek. Stacie sighs and reaches out to wipe it away. "Please talk to Chloe before you do anything you'll regret. Okay?"

"Okay," Beca said softly. "But, I do hate her right now."

"I know," Stacie said. "But, it's Chloe. And I know that she loves you more than anything else in this world."

"She cheated on me, Stacie," Beca snapped.

"I'm well aware of that," Stacie snapped back. "I think you should give her a chance to explain. I'm sure whatever happened wasn't something she actively sought out to do. I think you can at least give her a chance to tell her side of things. Talk to her. Listen to her."

"Whatever," Beca said.

The two women walked into the Emergency entrance and saw Aubrey talking to a nurse. She hurried over to Stacie as soon she saw them. She kissed Stacie and pulled Beca into a hug. Beca stood stiffly in her arms.

"Sorry it took so long," Stacie said. "I was trying to get this one somewhat sober before we came here."

"Beca," Aubrey said. "Chloe's in a room now. The nurse said we could go up whenever we want." Beca just stood there, arms crossed over her chest. Aubrey sighed. "Before we go up I need to tell you something."

"You don't need to tell me anything," Beca said. "She cheated on me. I heard her say it."

"I know, but there's more to it than just that," Aubrey said. "Let's go to the cafeteria and get some coffee in you. I'll tell you everything."

Beca stood there looking down at the ground. Her heart was shattered and she truly wanted to hate Chloe. But a piece of her was worried about her.

"Why is she even here?," Beca asked, trying to hide the full extent of her concern.

"She fainted," Aubrey said. "She hit her head when she fell. The doctor said she's okay but they want to keep her overnight. She apparently hasn't been eating and has been hitting the liquor pretty hard so she was dehydrated and the emotional stress of seeing you standing there when she said...those words, was too much for her body to handle. She's also been drinking. A lot."

Beca let out a breath and followed Aubrey and Stacie to the cafeteria. Once they got their coffee, they found seats away from most of the people and sat. Beca sat with her brows furrowed and she looked at Aubrey.

"What do you mean she was dehydrated?," Beca asked.

"That's what the doctor said," Aubrey said. "They have her on IV fluids to help with that. Have you noticed if she's been eating and drinking regularly? What about her alcohol consumption? Has it increased lately?"

Beca looked down somewhat ashamed. She had been thinking more about Chloe being cold to her that she didn't notice whether she had been eating or not. She hadn't noticed her drinking either.

"I, uh. I don't know," Beca said teary-eyed. "I hadn't noticed. She's been crying a lot. Whenever I tried to comfort her, or find out why, she pushes me away and says to leave her alone. So, I have been spending a lot of time in my studio. I just leave her alone like she wanted."

Aubrey and Stacie look at Beca with a mix of pity and concern. Aubrey clears her throat.

"Beca, I need to tell you what Chloe told me before you walked in on us," Aubrey said.

"I don't want to hear it," Beca said sitting up straighter, her body tense.

"You need to," Aubrey said. "Chloe said she got really drunk and doesn't remember what happened. She just remembers waking up the next day with that girl Sarah. She didn't want to believe that she had sex with her, but Sarah videotaped it."

"She taped it?," Stacie asked angrily. "What the Hell?"

"She's using it as blackmail," Aubrey said. "Chloe's been trying to figure out how to tell you about it all. She feels guilty because even if she wasn't aware of what was happening, it did happen. She had sex with someone who wasn't you and she hates herself for it. Sarah threatened to send you the tape if Chloe didn't hook up with her again."

"What?," Beca said. "Chloe went back to her?"

"No!," Aubrey said quickly. "Chloe has been avoiding Sarah, but she knows she can't keep doing it. She knows you'll be sent the tape. She apparently has been drinking to try and forget it."

"Well, this is a nice little story," Beca said, walls going up. "But, the fact is she cheated on me. And, I actually do hate her right now."

"That's all you can think of?," Aubrey snapped at her. "Beca, Chloe was caught up in a situation that she's not proud of and hates herself for, and is now being blackmailed to force her to do it again. She's been drinking a lot for the past month and you hadn't even noticed. She needs you to be her wife, or at least her friend. All this drinking is not good for her. Can you at least acknowledge that she may have a problem?"

"No," Beca responds.

"I can't believe you right now," Aubrey said and gets up and storms out of the cafeteria. Stacie debated with herself on whether to go after Aubrey or stay with Beca. Hoping to get through to Beca, she opts to stay.

"Beca," Stacie said. "You need to stop saying you hate Chloe. I know you hate the situation but I don't believe that you actually hate her. If you go in there like this and say that to Chloe, it will do irreparable harm to her and to your marriage." Stacie puts a hand up when it looks like Beca is going to speak. "Don't give me that same old bullshit about how she cheated on you. Yes, she had sex with someone who wasn't you. We'll come back to that later. For now, let's work on helping Chloe with something that is obviously traumatizing her and causing her to use alcohol to try and forget. If you want to leave her or whatever, fine. Just do it after we get her through this. Because if you walk out now, we may lose her permanently and I don't know about you, but I'm not ready for that."

"Why do I have to suck it up and help Chloe?," Beca asked petulantly.

"Can you honestly tell me that if you left her now," Stace said looking directly at Beca, "and something happened to her, that you would be okay with that?"

Beca looks down at the table, again not saying anything. She knows she couldn't stand it if anything happened to Chloe, but why does she have to be the one to help her. Chloe cheated on her and she was in pain. She wasn't even sure she wanted to be in the same room with her.

"Look, I know that her cheating on you is a big deal," Stacie said. "Especially after what happened with your father. But, I think the bigger issue that needs to be addressed is that Chloe is drinking so much. It's not good for her. Are you going to allow her to continue down this destructive path she set off on, or are you going to try and help her through this? Because you and I both know that you are the only one she really listens to."

Beca sits and glares at Stacie. She doesn't say anything and Stacie sighs.

"Fine," Stacie said. "Let me know if you change your mind. Aubrey or I will get Chloe's stuff from the house. She'll be staying with us."

"How can you take her side in this?," Beca asked as Stacie stood to leave. "She cheated on me."

"I'm not taking her side regarding the cheating," Stacie said. "I hate what happened but I don't hate her. Just like I wouldn't hate you if the roles were reversed. I'd be there as your friend no matter what. Just like I'm being there for Chloe, who really needs someone in her corner right now. You seem to have your mind made up on what you are going to do and I will respect that. But I'm not abandoning Chloe. You're both still my friend, whether you're together or not."

Stacie got up and left the cafeteria, leaving Beca alone with her thoughts.

 ***oOo*oOo*oOo***

Stacie walks into Chloe's room to find Aubrey sitting next to her bed. Chloe is sleeping and Stacie walks over and kisses Aubrey. She pulls the second chair closer and sits.

"Has she woken up at all?," Stacie asked quietly.

"Just once," Aubrey said. "She opened her eyes for a minute or so and looked around. When I told her she was in the hospital, she just said she needed a drink and went back to sleep."

"I'm anxious about her drinking," Stacie said. "It's not like her. In all the time I've known Chloe she's never shown any signs of addictive behavior. Well, except where Beca is concerned."

Aubrey gave a small chuckle. "That's true," she said. "Where is Beca? Is she coming to at least see Chloe?"

"I left her in the cafeteria," Stacie said. "But, I don't think she's coming. All she can think about is that Chloe cheated on her. And, I get that, I do. But, I thought she'd have enough compassion to at least try and help Chloe with the drinking. It's so unlike her. I told Beca we'd be there for her no matter what, but that we would also be there for Chloe as well."

"What are we going to do if Beca does leave her?," Aubrey asked, brow furrowed in concern.

"I don't know, babe," Stacie said taking Aubrey's hand. "But, we'd better be ready for it. You know how Beca feels about cheating and that's all she's focused on right now."

 ***oOo*oOo*oOo***

"Brey?," Chloe said, voice cracking as she tried to wake up. Her eyes focused and she saw Stacie and Aubrey sitting next to the bed. She starts looking around the room. "Is Beca here?"

Aubrey and Stacie looked at each other. "I'm sorry, Chloe," Aubrey said.

Chloe just flopped back onto the bed and put her hand over her eyes. "Is she divorcing me?"

"I honestly don't know," Aubrey said. "We told her you'd be staying with us for a while."

"I'll go get some of your stuff before you get out of here tomorrow," Stacie said.

"She hates me doesn't she?," Chloe asked softly, wiping the tears that were sliding down her face and onto her pillow.

Stacie sat forward and took Chloe's hand. "I really don't think so," she tells Chloe. "I know she's hurting and says she does, but I don't believe her. I think she hates what happened but I don't think she could ever hate you."

"Yeah, well, I hate me," Chloe said. She looked around again and asked, "What happened? Why am I here?"

"You fainted," Aubrey said. "The doctor said it was a combination of not eating, alcohol consumption, dehydration, and severe emotional stress. He's worried about your drinking. Thinks it might be an issue we should address."

"My drinking is not 'an issue'," Chloe scoffs. "I drink to forget. And it's not that bad."

"Not that bad?," Aubrey practically yells. "You had five drinks of hard liquor in the span of about sixty minutes when you were with me. I'd say that's bad."

"Brey, calm down," Stacie said placing a hand on her arm. "Let's take a breath. Okay?"

"Fine," Aubrey said and folded her arms across her chest. "How did you drink without Beca knowing about it?"

"I just hid bottles around the house in rooms she didn't bother going into," Chloe said "The house is so big we spent days not seeing each other, so it wasn't that difficult. Plus, Beca was either at her work studio or holed up in her home studio. I, um, also took the rest of the school year off for personal reasons."

"You haven't been working?," Stacie asked.

"No," Chloe said. "A week after I got back from the conference, Sarah cornered me and tried to get me to have sex with her in a classroom. I got away from her and couldn't stand the idea of going back so I talked to the principal. He said he'd noticed I didn't seem to be well, so he gave me a sabbatical. If things are better, I can start back up in the Fall."

"What about Sarah?," Aubrey asked. "Why didn't she send Beca the video?"

"I don't know," Chloe said. "I ignored her calls and texts hoping she'd just drop it. I've been living in fear every day that Beca was going to get the video. I guess it doesn't matter now."

"Do you still have her texts or voicemails?," Stacie asked.

"Yeah," Chloe said. "I didn't listen or read any after the first few. I should have deleted them but thought I could show them to Beca to prove Sarah was threatening me."

"It might just be enough evidence to at least file charges against her," Stacie said.

"Really?," Chloe asked.

"Yeah," Stacie replied. "California has a two-consent law when it comes to taping anyone. I'm assuming she did not get your consent?"

"Even drunk I would never have agreed to it," Chloe said.

 ***oOo*oOo*oOo***

Beca sat in the cafeteria going over everything that Aubrey and Stacie had said. She can't believe she hasn't noticed how much Chloe has been drinking or that she hasn't been eating. But, then again all she's been thinking about is why Chloe had suddenly started shutting her down. Plus, she'd been hiding out in the studio. Now that she knows the truth, it doesn't make her feel any better. She knows at some point that she will talk to Chloe and get her side of the story. But, for now, she really does feel some hatred towards her. Chloe knows what happened with her dad and also knows how much Beca hates cheaters in general.

"God, my life sucks," Beca mumbled. She got up and threw her coffee cup in the trash and walked out of the cafeteria. She stopped as soon as she was outside the doors. If she went right, she could exit the hospital and call a taxi or an Uber and just go home. If she went left she'd be able to find out what room Chloe was in and could go see her.

Beca went right.


	3. Chapter 3

Chloe laid on the bed in Stacie and Aubrey's guest room just staring at the ceiling. It had been two weeks since she left the hospital.

Two weeks and one day since she last saw Beca.

Two weeks and one day since Beca last said anything to her.

It had been one week since she last had a drink. And that was only because Stacie found an empty tequila bottle next to her bed. Despite Aubrey and Stacie disposing of all the alcohol in their house, she managed to get a bottle of tequila. She only drank enough to take the edge off over the span of three days. On the third day, she had finished off the bottle and was too wasted to take it to the trash. The empty bottle had slipped out of her hand and onto the floor by the bed. That's where Stacie found it.

Aubrey yelled at her for over an hour about her drinking and being drunk. She just laid there, much like she was now, just staring at the ceiling. She knew Aubrey and Stacie were being good friends but, honestly, she didn't need friends, she needed a drink.

 ***oOo*oOo*oOo***

Two weeks. It's been two weeks since Beca walked away from the hospital. Away from Chloe.

Two weeks of avoiding calls and texts from Aubrey, Stacie, and Chloe.

Two weeks of closing herself off in her studio trying to get the track she needed to get done completed. She was constantly losing focus but finally got through it after two weeks.

Beca sat back for a minute after listening to the final cut. She felt somewhat at peace now that the song was done. Working on the song helped. The pain was still there but not as sharp. It was more a dull ache in the pit of her stomach. Her heart was healing, and she thinks she's ready to talk to Chloe. Just not now.

Beca left her studio and made her way to the kitchen to get some water. She grabbed a bottle out of the refrigerator and grabbed her phone off the counter. She sat down and decided to read the texts and listen to the voicemails she'd been avoiding for the past two weeks.

She took a deep breath and started with Stacie's texts. There weren't any surprises at first until she reached one from a week ago. Apparently, Chloe was finding a way to drink even though Aubrey and Stacie had disposed of all the alcohol from their home.

Beca deleted the texts and voicemails from Stacie and Aubrey. She wasn't ready to deal with them yet. She keeps Chloe's texts and voicemails. She honestly doesn't know why. It's like a part of her didn't want to hear what Chloe had to say, but another part of her did. So, she kept them. And one day she'd be able to read and listen to everything. Today was just not that day.

 ***oOo*oOo*oOo***

It's now going on two months that Chloe's been staying with Aubrey and Stacie. She was thinner than she was even a month ago, and her hair and eyes lacked the brightness they once had. She had bags under her eyes that were more noticeable every day. She stayed in her room unless Aubrey physically forced her out. No matter what she did, Chloe always managed to sneak back into her room so she could be alone.

It was a lazy Sunday morning as Chloe sat on the side of the bed sending Beca her daily text. She had gotten into the habit of texting something to the DJ every day. Asking if they could talk; asking if she was eating; asking if she was taking care of herself; and, today, asking if there was still a chance for them. She sent off the text, not expecting an answer.

She laid down with her legs hanging over the side of the bed. She kept wanting to go to the house and see Beca but Aubrey and Stacie always talked her out of it. She was thankful to them for it. She knows if she goes over to Beca's that she may make things worse than they already were. Time is what Beca needs they told her, so time is what she's going to give her.

Chloe's phone pinged with a message and she sat up feeling around the bed for her phone. She was excited because maybe Beca texted her back. She found her phone and looked at the notification was excited that it was actually from Beca.

Beca: _There's always a chance for us._

Tears came to Chloe's eyes. She might still be able to salvage her marriage after all. Her phone pinged again, and she looked at it expecting to see another message from Beca. It was from Sarah. She's told Sarah several times to leave her alone but she continued to harass her. This time she sent the video from that night in Sacramento with a text saying they needed to get together again. Chloe was fuming.

Chloe got up and went stomping out of her room and downstairs to the kitchen where Stacie and Aubrey were sitting and enjoying a cup of coffee. Stacie was looking at a text Beca had just sent her and was smiling.

"She's at it again," Chloe said angrily tossing her phone at Aubrey.

Aubrey caught the phone. "I'm guessing we're talking about Sarah?"

"Yes," Chloe said. "I don't know what to do."

"Give me that," Stacie said grabbing the phone from Aubrey.

"What are you going to do?," Aubrey asked.

Stacie ignored her and started typing. After about a minute she hit send and tossed the phone on the counter. Chloe grabbed it up immediately.

"What did you do?," Chloe asked opening her phone. She pulled up her texts and read what Stacie wrote her eyes got wide. "I can't believe you actually did that."

"What did she write?," Aubrey asked trying to see the phone screen. Chloe handed Aubrey the phone. Aubrey read the text out loud.

Chloe: _Beca already knows and I don't understand why you keep trying. It couldn't have been very good if I can't remember any of it. You do know you violated the CA two-person consent law, right? Keep bothering me and I will have charges filed against you._

"Do you think it will work?," Aubrey asked handing Chloe her phone.

"I guess we'll see," Stacie said.

"On a bit of a happier note," Chloe said. "I sent Beca my morning text asking if there was still a chance for us and she wrote back 'there is always a chance for us'. That's good, right?"

"It sounds promising," Aubrey said. "But, don't expect it to happen overnight. You know how Beca is. If she's going to come around, it will have to be on her terms."

 ***oOo*oOo*oOo***

Beca was laying on the couch mindlessly flipping through channels, finally stopping on Food Network's _The Kitchen._ Two months. It's been two months since Beca found out about Chloe's cheating. Two months of wallowing in hurt and self-pity. So, here she was on another lazy Sunday morning wishing Chloe were with her so she'd drag her to the local Farmer's Market and grocery shopping.

Two months of missing not only Chloe but Stacie and Aubrey, too. As if reading her thoughts, Beca's phone pinged with a text message from Chloe. Chloe had started texting her every morning with one thing or another. Beca ran a hand through her hair and opened it.

Chloe: _Is there still a chance for us?_

Today's text was a bit different than her others. She didn't want to acknowledge it let alone answer it, but she decided maybe it was time to open the lines of communication. She texted back: _There is always a chance for us._

She was surprised when her phone chimed within seconds of sending the text. She checked it and it wasn't from Chloe but from Stacie.

Stacie: _Beca? This sucks, okay? It's been 2 months and I miss my friend. I really want to see you and talk to you. In person. Can we just get coffee or something? Please? Just text me and I'll be there._

Beca decided to text Stacie. She missed her friend, too. Almost as much as she was missing Chloe.

Beca: _Come by the studio tomorrow. I'm good any time just text me a time._

Beca didn't have to wait long before Stacie texted her back.

Stacie: _I'll be there at 10:00 am. Thank you._

 ***oOo*oOo*oOo***

The next morning Beca grabbed her phone and wallet off the counter and picked up her keys from the hook by the door. She got in her car and drove to the studio, greeting everyone with a smile and a wave. She was excited to see Stacie today. She really has missed her.

Beca had just checked the clock and saw that it was almost 10:00. She smiled when she heard a knock on her door.

"Come in," Beca called out.

"Beca?," Allison, Beca's Assistant, stuck her head in the door. Seeing Beca sitting at the mixing table, she said, "Stacie's here."

"Send her in," Beca said as she took off her headphones and jumped up.

Stacie came in and engulfed Beca in a tight hug. "I've missed you, short stuff," Stacie said.

"I've missed you, too, Legs," Beca said. "Let's go downstairs to the coffee shop."

They head downstairs and enter the coffee shop. They were in line waiting their turn when Stacie looked at Beca and sighed. "You know it's not fair that you shut me out just because you and Chloe are-whatever it is you are."

"I know, Stacie," Beca said. "I just-. I didn't want to hear anything about Chloe. I just wanted to forget things and be by myself for a while."

"She misses you," Stacie said quietly.

"I miss her, too," Beca said. "I'm just having a little trouble getting past the cheating, you know?"

"I know," Stacie said. "And, I love you so don't take this the wrong way, but you look like shit."

"Hi, can I take your order," the cashier asked.

Beca and Stacie placed their orders. The barista gave them their coffee and they found a table. Beca took a sip of her coffee.

"I look like shit because I haven't been sleeping very well," Beca said. "So, how are, um, things?"

"If you want to know how Chloe is, just ask," Stacie said and sipped her coffee.

"Fine," Beca said. She shifted in her seat and looked around the coffee shop. "How is she doing?"

"Are you sure you want to know?," Stacie asked. "I don't want to push you or pressure you into anything."

"Come on, Stacie," Beca whined. "Just tell me."

"Chloe looks even worse than you do," Stacie said. "But at least we got her to stop using alcohol as a coping mechanism."

"That's good to hear," Beca said playing with the lid of her coffee cup. "I don't like it when she's hurting."

"There's something else," Stacie said. "It has to do with _that_ person."

"It's fine," Beca said. "Just tell me."

"Chloe is getting a restraining order against... _that person_ ," Stacie said. Beca smiled as Stacie continued to refuse to say Sarah's name. "She's still harassing Chloe via text and voicemail messages."

"Okay," Beca said. "Why wouldn't you want to tell me that? That's a good thing."

"Well, there's more," Stacie said. "And I don't want you to freak out about it."

"Oh, God," Beca said and slouched in her seat. "Chloe's seeing someone else? Oh, my God! We're still married. What is she thinking? She can't-

"Beca!," Stacie yells to get her to stop. Beca's mouth snaps shut and she notices people looking at them. "What part of 'she looks worse than you do' screams she's seeing someone else?"

"Sorry," Beca said softly.

"I can't believe you sometimes," Stacie said shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, okay?," Beca said. "Go on. What else is there?"

" _That person_ sent Chloe the video she took," Stacie said. Beca rolled her eyes and looked away. "It's obvious that Chloe is not coherent or even knows what's going on. Aubrey thinks since Chloe wasn't capable of giving consent, that person can be charged with taping Chloe under the two-person consent law."

"So, you're saying Chloe cheated on me without knowing what she was doing?," Beca asked.

"Basically, yeah," Stacie said. "I know it's kind of out there, but that's what it looked like. I haven't shared this with anyone else, but, personally, I think Chloe was drugged."

"What do you mean 'drugged'?," Beca asked.

"It's just my theory," Stacie said. "It would explain a lot. I've known Chloe for a long time and she never gets so drunk that she doesn't remember anything. And she honestly doesn't remember anything that happened between having drinks at the bar and waking up the next morning. Even seeing everything on the video didn't bring up any memory of it. Usually, once you tell Chloe what happened, she remembers it."

"I hear what you're saying," Beca said. "I just can't get past the part where she had sex with someone else. I mean she could just be saying that so it would show her in a bad light. I never really hated her. I love her so much and it still hurts. It's like a sickness. "

"I know," Stacie said. "But, it's obvious she didn't know what was happening. Plus, if Chloe was drugged, that person could go to jail. The only problem is it would be hard to prove. People who were at the bar could tell how Chloe was drinking a lot and that's how she ended up in bed with that bitch. So, probably the best Chloe can do is get a restraining order. She and Aubrey went to a lawyer's office this morning to see what Chloe's options are."

Beca doesn't say anything and she just stares at Stacie.

 ***oOo*oOo*oOo***

"Thanks for coming with me, Brey," Chloe said as they sat in the reception area of a lawyer's office.

"You're welcome," Aubrey said. "I'm just glad you finally decided to do it."

"I think the text Stacie wrote might help," Chloe said. "I haven't received a new text since then and she's been sending them daily. There's nothing yet today." Chloe ran her hand through her hair.

"I know you're nervous," Aubrey said. "That's why I'm here. I just want to make sure you don't miss anything important the lawyer might say."

"I'm not just nervous, Brey," Chloe said. "I'm scared shit-"

"Chloe Mitchell?," the receptionist called. "Ms. Marshall will see you now."

"Thank you," Chloe said as she and Aubrey were ushered into Ms. Marshall's office.

"Good afternoon, ladies," a slender, African-American woman said as they entered the office. "I'm Theresa Marshall." She held out her hand to the two women. "Please, call me Terri."

"Chloe Mitchell," Chloe said and shook Terri's hand.

"Aubrey Posen," Aubrey said also shaking Terri's hand.

"Posen?," Terri questioned. "Are you related to Jack Posen?"

"He's my father," Aubrey said.

"Ah," Terri Marshall said. "He's a good man. Hell of a lawyer."

"Yes, ma'am, he is," Aubrey said.

"Please, ladies, have a seat," Terri said indicating two chairs in front of a desk. She walked around the desk and sat. Once Chloe and Aubrey were seated across from her, she looked at the two. "What can I do for you ladies?"

Chloe cleared her throat and started talking. She told Terri she wanted to get a restraining order and included everything that had happened starting with how she met Sarah.

"I'll need to see the texts and the video," Terrie said. "Do you have them with you?"

Chloe blushed and nodded her head. "Um, I just want the restraining order against her. To stop her from harassing me with all the texts and voicemails."

"Mrs. Mitchell," Terri said getting Chloe to look at her. "Everything in this room is confidential. I need to see the video to determine if we can make a case against this Sarah woman for violating the two-person consent laws. No one else will see it. At least from this office."

"You mean someone else may see it?," Aubrey asked, not having thought that was a possibility before.

"Well, I don't know who Sarah has shown it to, or may show it to," Terri said. "But if what you say is on that video is actually _on_ that video, she will have to show it to her lawyer because she will definitely need one. And in order to build a case against her, the police will need to see it when you file a police report. I can't promise that it won't be viewed by several people before this is over."

Chloe looked at Aubrey with tears in her eyes. Aubrey took Chloe's hand and gave it a squeeze. Chloe licked her lips and put a strand of hair behind her ear. She cleared the lump from her throat.

"Um, let's proceed," Chloe said and unlocked her phone and handed it to Terri.

"I'll only look at enough of the video to tell me if there is a case here, okay?," Terri said with a small smile.

Chloe nodded her head and looked down at the floor. It was bad enough that she lost Beca over this, now it looks like everyone was not only going to know about it but they were going to see it as well. She was thinking about what she was going to tell her parents. She wiped a tear that fell.

"Mrs. Mitchell?," Terri said getting Chloe to look at her again. "I believe we can get a restraining order based on the text messages alone. And, looking at the video it's quite obvious that you are clearly unable to consent to anything. If you really want to proceed, we'll have to file a police report of the incident. Unfortunately, the video will need to be used as evidence."

"Can we just do the restraining order?," Chloe asked looking down at her hand.

"If that's what you want," Terri responded.

"Can we also send a cease and desist letter?," Aubrey asked. "To keep Sarah from sharing or posting the video?"

"I see your father's taught you a few things," Terri said with a smile. "And, yes we can send a cease and desist letter, along with a restraining order. It will be a good way to show her that you are serious about being left alone. We can also threaten her with the violation of the two-party consent laws. Most people will decide that harassing you is not worth suffering costly legal fees or going to jail. If they still are not getting the hint, sending the letter can be used as evidence against them in court. "

"Okay," Chloe said. "Let's do that."

 ***oOo*oOo*oOo***

Three months after the Sacramento incident, Stacie and Beca were having lunch. They had started meeting on a regular basis and Stacie was filling Beca in on what was going on with Chloe.

"It took a few days," Stacie told Beca. "But Terri Marshall, the lawyer Chloe hired, walked Chloe through all the steps necessary to get the restraining order in place. A temporary restraining order, along with the cease and desist letter was delivered to Sarah Hamilton, that's her full name. A court date was provided to make the temporary order a permanent one. With the threat of possible charges and going to jail, Sarah backed off and hasn't bothered Chloe anymore. The video was deleted and as far as everyone knows, Sarah had only sent it to Chloe."

"So, Sarah was just basically a bully?," Beca asked Stacie. "What a bitch."

"Yep," Stacie said. "Chloe's actually doing a bit better now. She's getting out more and is starting to eat regularly. That's not to say she stopped crying herself to sleep, but she's getting there. How about you? How are you doing?"

"I'm doing...okay," Beca said. "I guess."

"It's been three months, Becs," Stacie said. "I know you have a thing about people who cheat, but there are extenuating circumstances in play here. If I thought that Chloe had purposely cheated on you, she wouldn't be allowed to stay in our house. I don't care if she is Brey's best friend. I think it's time you talked to your wife."

"I know," Beca said and set her fork down. "I've already forgiven Chloe." Beca sighs and looks down at her plate.

"So what are you going to do?," Stacie asked.

"I think it's time I talked to my wife," Beca said.

 ***oOo*oOo*oOo***

It took Beca another two weeks to work up the courage to talk to Chloe. She may have waited longer but their first anniversary was coming up in a little over two weeks and she wanted to spend it with her wife. She was standing outside Stacie and Aubrey's door. She took a deep breath and knocked. She was thrown a little when Aubrey answered and grabbed her in a hug as soon as she saw her.

"Beca! I've missed you," Aubrey said and pulled out of the hug. "Please, come in."

"Thank you," Beca said and entered the house. "I was, uh, hoping I could talk to Chloe."

"Chloe's upstairs," Aubrey said. "I'll get her. Stacie's in the kitchen having coffee. Why don't you wait in there with her."

"Okay," Beca said and headed for the kitchen while Aubrey went upstairs.

"Hey, Stace," Beca said when she walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, Beca," Stacie said. "Good to see you. Want some coffee?"

"Yes, please," Beca said and sat at the counter.

 ***oOo*oOo*oOo***

Aubrey knocked on Chloe's door and walked in. Chloe was wrapped in a towel and looking for something to wear.

"Good morning, Brey," Chloe said over her shoulder.

"Beca's here," Aubrey said, causing Chloe's head to snap around to her. "And, she wants to talk to you."

"Beca's here?," Chloe asked. Aubrey nods. "To see me?" Another nod. "Oh, my God."

Chloe starts going through her clothes. "I need to find something nice to wear." She looks at Aubrey. "Can you do my hair for me." She then starts looking frantically around the room. "Where's my makeup?"

"Chloe, calm down," Aubrey said grabbing the redhead. "Just throw on something and get downstairs before she changes her mind."

"You're right," Chloe said and takes a deep breath. "You're right. Could you go down and tell her I'll be like 10 minutes? And don't let her leave."

"Okay," Aubrey said. She reached around Chloe and grabbed a shirt and a pair of shorts and handed them to her before she walked out.

 ***oOo*oOo*oOo***

Beca turned to look when she heard someone coming into the kitchen.

"Chloe said she'll be about 10 minutes," Aubrey said as she sat next to Stacie at the counter. "She just got out of the shower and just needs to get dressed."

Beca thanked her and then kind of spaced out.

Stacie smiled and said, "You perv! You are so thinking about Chloe naked."

Beca blushed and sputtered, "What? No. Pfft. What?" Stacie and Aubrey both raised an eyebrow and just looked at her. "Okay, fine. I was. I mean it's been over three months and I miss my wife. A lot."

"Does that mean that you've forgiven Chloe and want her back?," Aubrey asked.

"Yeah, I have and I do," Beca said with a small smile.

All three heads turned when they heard soft, hesitant footsteps come into the kitchen. Chloe's eyes immediately went to Beca.

"Hey," Chloe said softly as she stood in the doorway.

"Hey," Beca said just as softly.

Aubrey stood up and grabbed Stacie's arm. "We'll leave you two alone."

"Are you sure that's wise?," Stacie asked. "There are a lot of sharp things in here."

Beca let out a small laugh. "I think we'll be okay, Stace."

Stacie gave her a quick wink. She and Aubrey walked out and Chloe moved to stand on the other side of the counter from Beca. The brunette and the redhead looked at each other and Chloe reached up to push back her hair.

"So, um, Aubrey said you wanted to talk," Chloe said nervously.

"Yeah, I do," Beca said just as nervous.

"Before you say anything," Chloe said. "I want to tell you again how sorry I am about what happened. I know that being stupid drunk is no excuse. And I-" Chloe's voice cracked and she cleared her throat. "I understand if you don't want to be with me anymore."

"Is that what you want?," Beca asked.

"God, no!," Chloe said quickly. "I mean-." Chloe swallowed and looked at Beca with tears in her eyes. "I love you so much, Beca. I know I hurt you but I swear I didn't know what was happening. Hell, I can't even remember how I got back to my room or anything until I woke up the next morning. I do know that I had, um, that I was with someone else and I hate myself that it happened. I just don't think I can stand it if you hate me, too."

Chloe wiped at the tears that had fallen and then stared down at her hands.

"I don't hate you," Beca said softly. "I admit that I kinda did at first, but it wasn't actual hate towards you. It was more I hated what happened." Beca paused trying to decide how this was going to go. She decided she would just lay it all out on the table. "I won't lie, it hurt when I heard you say you cheated on me. You know how I feel about cheaters. But, I also realized that I based everything I felt about cheating on what my dad did. I remembered him telling my mom he loved her every day. When I was alone and had time to think about things, I realized that he never actually said I love you to my mom. He would say 'love you' or 'you, too' whenever my mom told him she loved him. He had been cheating on my mom for a while before he finally left."

Chloe stood there and listened as Beca talked. Knowing that she had more to say so she quietly waited for her to continue.

"I guess what I'm saying is," Beca continued. "Not everything is as black and white as I made it out to be. My dad had been cheating for a while and living a lie the whole time he stayed with my mom. You were unaware of what was happening to you. It's like the whole comparing apples and oranges thing."

"I need to tell you something," Chloe said. "Something I should have told you about when it happened but at the time I didn't think it was that big a deal. I thought I had it handled."

"If you're talking about Sarah trying to kiss you at school," Beca said. "I already know. Stacie told me everything. Stacie also told me she saw some of the video and that it was obvious you were out of it."

"I swear to you Beca I would never have done that if I was aware of what was happening," Chloe said through her tears.

"I know," Beca said and gave her a small smile.

"Where do we go from here?," Chloe asked. "Because I want you to know that I will spend the rest of my life making this up to you if you'll still have me."

Beca got up and walked around to where Chloe was standing. Chloe let out a sob and put her hand to her mouth. Beca just held open her arms and Chloe stepped into them, putting her arms around Beca's neck. Beca put her arms around Chloe's waist. Chloe buried her head in Beca's neck and sobbed.

"Are we going to be okay?," Chloe mumbled against Beca's neck.

"Yeah, we're going to be okay," Beca said.

"I love you," Chloe choked out.

"I know," Beca said as tears fell down her face. "I love you, too."

They stood holding each other for a while. Both just finding comfort in the other. Knowing that there would be some bumps along the way, but that if they could get past this obstacle, nothing was going to stop them.

Chloe pulled back a bit from the hug and looked at Beca. Beca looked at Chloe and leaned in to kiss her. Chloe accepted the kiss and tightened her hold around Beca's neck to deepen the kiss. The kiss got heated quickly and they only stopped when they needed air. Beca looked into Chloe's eyes and smiled.

"Can we go home now?" Beca asked.

They both jumped when they heard Stacie squeal. She ran over to hug them both. Aubrey smiled at her wife and then at Beca and Chloe, before joining the group hug.

"I so knew you two would get back together once you talked," Stacie said excitedly.

The four friends pulled out of the hug.

"So, what's next for you guys?," Aubrey asked.

Beca and Chloe looked at each other. Stacie smiled. The three women looked at Aubrey and simultaneously said, "Makeup sex."

* * *

 **Full request from raffig23: Hi! Can you please write an angst story based on** _ **Figures**_ **, a reprise by Jessie Reyez [featuring Daniel Caesar]. Specifically where Chloe cheats on Beca and Beca hates Chloe at first and make up at the end.**

 **BeChloeIsLegit Note:**

 **I did not follow the song itself, just the message about cheating and the pain it caused. I love Chloe in the** _ **Pitch Perfect**_ **movies so I had to figure out a way to have her cheat without really 'cheating' per se. There are a whole boatload of other issues that I could have delved into but wanted it to be about Beca and Chloe getting through this and still being together (per the prompt to have them "make up at the end").**

 **Thank you for listening and reading. I hope you enjoyed it.**


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